Injuries robbed the offensive line of a chance to gain cohesion in the preseason, so it's hard to imagine the group thriving out of the gate. But even if the five starters manage to play together for an extended stretch, it's still reasonable to expect overmatched center Phil Costa and pedestrian guards Nate Livings and Mackenzie Bernadeau to struggle against the Giants and their ferocious defensive front.

2. Will Dez Bryant behave himself?

Much has been made of the "rules" the team and Bryant's advisers handed him, but such strict supervision didn't prevent Adam "Pacman" Jones from finding trouble when he was a Cowboy in 2008. Bryant's camp says he genuinely wants to change, but only time will tell whether that's true or simply spin designed to get the heat from the law and the NFL off the wide receiver's back.

3. Can Miles Austin stay healthy?

The speedy wideout missed his second straight preseason because of a hamstring injury, a bad sign considering he went on to miss six games last season with the same problem. Unless the Cowboys have unearthed some kind of miracle cure, it's likely he'll miss more games this season. That's a scary thought for coach Jason Garrett, given Bryant's volatile nature and the lack of a proven threat on the remainder of the depth chart.

4. How improved will the defense be with two new cornerbacks?

With Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne in the secondary and Pro Bowl outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware primed for yet another monster season, the Cowboys have a good shot at becoming a top-10 unit. But they won't improve last year's No. 14 ranking unless another pass-rushing threat emerges opposite Ware and the starters in the secondary remain healthy.

5. Can the Cowboys win when it counts?

They lost four of their last five games last season to miss the playoffs for the third time in the past four years. The late-season schedule appears tough again, with home games against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New Orleans and road trips to Cincinnati and Washington. Depth is a requirement for a late-season surge. It's also something Dallas lacks, so expect another sub-.500 December.

Cowboys' season prediction

8-8: At the start of camp, a 9-7 finish and a playoff berth seemed possible. But the Cowboys limped home from California with too many injuries and too many holes to merit anything but another third-place finish in the rugged NFC East. Thus, it's another mediocre showing for a franchise that's 120-120 during the past 15 seasons.